December 2011 Archive

On this trip we made many ROK kites with the latest updates. We took the prototypes to fly at our usual test site and based on the results, designed some more with the new ideas and new software results.

On the materials side, we made 3 ROKs (3 different sizes) using Cubic Tech CT3.5, with Tapeglue along the intersegment panels and dacron reinforced stitch closing seam. The result was good, but after keeping the kites inflated for 3 days, the bottom of the main intersection started to fail, proving that we can’t use tape at that spot. We are fixing that by making the intersection with dacron, after a transition from the CT3.5

The Gas Kite is a lifting device that mixes the use of lighter-than-air gas lift with lift from a kite. Perfect for missions when the wind is too light to use our ROK kites to lift cameras, we take advantage that it will go up with almost no wind, then it will catch the light breeze that will help to stay even higher and stable.

Our main development this time in the factory was to study the 3D inflated shape of the lifting balloon. The original Gas Kite is made by welding 2 flat circles. The resulting inflated shape is not a sphere, but a “flattened sphere”, more like a pancake… or a burger. Because the balloon is made with […more]

Dudu and Don are working on a new kiteboat kite design that will feature a single leading edge with a partial lower skin to fair the entry. Plastic ribs, location at the stations where there is no strut to connect the top and bottom skins, will keep the geometry stable.

Shown in the photos is a sample section of this design. The tip sections on a whole kite will be held taut by the leading edge–the final shape should resemble the shape in the photos where Dudu holds the kite, and not the shape shown at the bottom. Black airfoil shape is a plastic rib–there are three in this sample section. Photo of Dudu holding the kite cross-wise shows the […more]

We tow-tested K2 today to show Jim Antrim, a naval architect and our newest consultant, around the platform. We towed out to Treasure Island and inflated the 30 sqm high aspect ratio kite to demonstrate how the mast worked. Jamie rode on K2 for the first time, in order to operate his new logging equipment.